I recently saw the Joker movie, which is a fantastic and nuanced film that explores the character of Joker as well issues around mental health and class. When I saw the movie it got me thinking about the first time I met the Joker and my ongoing fascination with his character. It happened when I saw the first 80’s Batman movie, where Jack Nicholson was the Joker. Before seeing that movie, I didn’t know who Batman or the Joker were because I wasn’t reading comics then, but watching the movie made a powerful impression on me. I wasn’t sure who to root for, because what Joker represented in that movie wasn’t just a bad guy, but someone who rebelled against the systems of authority that were in place. And I could identify with that, because I grew up in a fairly strict home, where I was grounded at the drop of a hat (among other things).

A few years later I was introduced to the Joker again, this time through Batman the animated series. The cartoon Joker was both sinister and funny and its fair to say my favorite episodes were the ones where Batman was pitted against Joker. It wasn’t until later that I really began to see the darker side of Joker, both in comics, film and short stories. It was then I began to recognize why perhaps the Joker wasn’t a character I wanted to root for.